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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28213377">The Sun Came Up Today</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugartwist/pseuds/sugartwist'>sugartwist</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Boys In Love, Dark Past, Fluff, Happy Ending, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan &amp; Mark Lee Are Best Friends, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan Is The Sun, M/M, Sad Mark Lee (NCT), Sad with a Happy Ending, Soft Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Soft Mark Lee (NCT), like it's not explicitly said about what it is but it's implied i guess, like two curse words and one implied kiss, mark kinda has a sad past :(</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 01:07:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,440</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28213377</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugartwist/pseuds/sugartwist</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The bubble only appears to guide him, but all Mark wants is a way out of his misery. At the end of the gloomy tunnel that he calls life, there's a little star that makes everything much brighter.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Sun Came Up Today</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>honestly, i'm like half asleep while i'm editing and posting this so there might be some mistakes. don't worry about it lol just worry about sad little mark in this story :(</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A yellow-tinted bubble flew into Mark's window that night — the night he was feeling extremely dreadful. He saw a reflection of something in it.</p>
<p>"Who. . . who are you?" His curiosity got the best of him. Somehow, the bubble spoke. "<em>I'm your happiness.</em>"</p>
<p>And that was that. Twelve-year-old Mark Lee didn't freak out, and the shimmery sphere continued to float in front of him.</p>
<p>As if it wasn't an inanimate object, he addressed it again, "why are you here?" He held his palms open and it hovered over them.</p>
<p>"<em>For happiness</em>," it echoed. Mark just blinked, flopping back onto his mattress with messy and unfolded blankets. He sighed and his shoulders dropped, oblivious to how tense his body actually felt.</p>
<p>When he raised his neck to look back up, the foam orb was gone. He rubbed his eyes, reassuring himself that he wasn't imagining things.</p>
<p>"Happiness," he scoffed, "not even a tiny bubble could give me that."</p><hr/>
<p>Mark sunk to his knees once he entered his room and slammed the door behind himself. How was it that a fourteen-year-old like him felt so miserable? He couldn't explain it, especially not to his parents who kept prying for information.</p>
<p>With teary eyes and a shaky exhale, Mark looked up to the sound of knocking on the glass of his window. None of his friends (or that was what he liked to call them) would pass by, even if it was just to check on him.</p>
<p>"<em>Hello</em>," a whimsical voice uttered, the sound reaching all across the walls and bouncing back to the crouching boy in front of the door.</p>
<p>Mark's memories came crashing back — he knew this strange floating ball. It seemed much larger than last time, too. Maybe it grew over the span of two years, just like Mark did.</p>
<p>Mark gave a little wave, before realizing that the thing probably couldn't see him. "Hi," he whispered in return. "Are you. . .," he struggled with his words for a moment, ". . . my happiness?"</p>
<p>The bubble — which was more like the size of a golf ball now — came closer, and closer, and closer, until it was right in front of Mark's face. Now that he was next to it, he could see the face of a person more clearly. Still inquisitive, he said, "who is that?"</p>
<p>A pause. "<em>Happiness.</em>"</p>
<p>Mark cocked his head to the side, puzzled. With no further clarification, the circle sped off into the night, away from Mark's vision.</p>
<p>It seemed simple since the bubble said very few words, but Mark just wished he knew what it all meant.</p><hr/>
<p>At sixteen, Mark was incredibly stressed. And not just by school, but by his entire life. Everything about it — every aspect. His social life, his home life, his online presence, every single thing made him shiver with anxiety.</p>
<p>But as they say: there's always a light at the end of the tunnel.</p>
<p>For Mark, Donghyuck was his light. He was the only person he considered his friend now, and while Donghyuck's personality was the exact opposite of his, they still meshed well together.</p>
<p>When Mark fell to the ground, all dirty and wounded, Donghyuck was the only one to pull him back onto his feet. Figuratively and literally.</p>
<p>So when that golden spheroid appeared in his room, he was perplexed. He thought he was happy enough (excluding his upcoming finals).</p>
<p>"<em>Hi</em>," the blob nearly sang. It was a shorter greeting than before, Mark noted. "I'm already happy," Mark breathed out in a whimper, clearly distressed. It wasn't a lie, was it? Mark had Donghyuck now, he knew he couldn't be better.</p>
<p>"<em>You have to embody positivity to be truly happy, and you do not have that. . . happiness lurks and looks for you, Mark Lee.</em>"</p>
<p>The sound of his name coming from the thing's mouth creeped him out. It made his skin crawl. "How do I find it, then?"</p>
<p>"<em>That's for you. . . to figure out. . .</em>"</p>
<p>In the blink of an eye, it was gone again. Mark chased after it for the first time, but any effort was hopeless. "Why am I even listening to this weird bubble anyway?" he told himself, looking up to the slowly darkening sky. Nighttime was around the corner.</p><hr/>
<p>"Mark, you've seriously gotta fix your sleep schedule. I mean, it's almost 2 in the goddamn morning." Donghyuck was on the phone, scolding the older boy like always. "You've only got, like, a month before you graduate. You need to get up early."</p>
<p>"But," Mark groggily muttered, "wanna keep talkin'. . ."</p>
<p>Donghyuck's sweet and dazed giggle made its way across the line. "We can talk tomorrow, silly. I'll always be here."</p>
<p>"Mmm, don't wanna," Mark mumbled as he smushed his face against the pillow behind his head.</p>
<p>"Maaark," the other dragged out, "go to sleeep." Donghyuck huffed out a pant. "Please?" he added. "For me?"</p>
<p>The oldest groaned, picking his phone up to look at the time on his screen for a second. 1:58.</p>
<p>"Fine, fine, I'm gonna sleep now," he yawned, eyelids heavy. "G'night, Hyuck."</p>
<p>Mark heard a small but attractive chortle that made his sleepy body burn with passion and his stomach erupt with butterflies. "Goodnight, sleepyhead. Don't let the bed bugs bite," the younger teased, remembering the time Mark went camping with him and got bitten all over his body by mosquitoes overnight.</p>
<p>Mark lightly snorted, too tired to think of a retort. "Love you. . ."</p>
<p>Donghyuck hummed, swimming in a pool of delight. "Sleepy Markie is soft and cuddly, huh? I like this side of you."</p>
<p>"Shut up," Mark said, with no bad intentions. "I love you, too, dumbass. Get some rest, yeah? See you in the morning." Donghyuck's voice was the last thing Mark heard before he closed his eyes to succumb to his fatigue. That fact made his chest tingle with euphoria.</p>
<p>In the darkest corner of his room, the yellowish tennis-sized object wavered. At eighteen years, Mark was finally getting closer to his goal.</p><hr/>
<p>"<em>You've found it, Mark. You have happiness.</em>"</p>
<p>When he was finally twenty-years-old, the bubble came to him in a dream. That same night, a few hours earlier, he confessed his feelings to Donghyuck.</p>
<p>His dream was cluttered and noisy, it made his head pound with delicate pain. "How is it that I'm happy now and I wasn't before?"</p>
<p>The sphere was the size of a baseball now, and Mark was sure it could easily knock him out if it suddenly got frustrated with him.</p>
<p>"<em>You have him now.</em>"</p>
<p>And, for once, it completely made sense to Mark. Happiness wasn't any material possession and he couldn't buy the emotion with money either. Happiness — to Mark, at least — was <em>Donghyuck</em>. He smiled at that.</p>
<p>The bubble popped loudly with that single thought, awaking him from his slumber. Mark was startled by the ringtone of his phone, the one he specifically put for his best friend — for his <em>crush</em>.</p>
<p>Blood rushed to his cheeks when he recalled the events of the last evening. Donghyuck told him he reciprocated his feelings and kissed him. The only way Mark could explain it was one word: heavenly.</p>
<p>Mark tussled his hair before answering the call, his expression beaming. "Hey."</p>
<p>Anyone could hear the smile from Donghyuck's tone a mile away. "Good morning, idiot."</p>
<p>Ah, nothing had changed. Mark felt relief knowing that.</p>
<p>Donghyuck began talking again. "Do you have any plans today?" It was casual, but it made Mark's toes curl in anticipation. "Nope. Why? Do you wanna take me somewhere?" Mark asked with a smirk dangerously dancing on his lips.</p>
<p>Donghyuck couldn't hold back his cackle. "Obviously. Why else would I call you so early in the morning?" Mark wouldn't be able to wipe the stupid grin off his face, even if someone punched him.</p>
<p>After a bit more banter, Mark swallowed his worries. "Hyuck, I know we're young and all, and we've hardly even tried to date other people, but—"</p>
<p>His mouth was dry. He tried again, ". . . but I want to try. With you. Always with you."</p>
<p>Mark heard snickering and his face reddened even further. "You're such a big pile of fluff, you know that?" As Donghyuck giggled away at his own words, Mark tried to calm down his racing heart. Oh, Mark Lee was <em>so</em> in love.</p>
<p>They continued with their conversation, going about their day like they hadn't just officially become each other's boyfriends. <em>Boyfriends.</em> Mark was going to combust.</p>
<p>So, while Donghyuck wasn't there at the beginning to provide him the comfort and love he needed when he was a child, Mark's brightest ray of sunshine rose up and came to him when he needed him most.</p>
<p>Mark was happy.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>woaahh that might be the longest thing i've written on here !! hope you liked it lol, i just suddenly got some inspiration and i Had to write it before my motivation left again. leave a comment or a cc if you liked it !! i appreciate it and i love uuu &lt;3</p>
<p> </p>
<p> <a href="https://twitter.com/softwrld">twt</a> <a href="https://curiouscat.me/s4nrio">cc</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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